Strawberry Jam

May 8, 2009

Kate Sears

Before the advent of refrigeration, home cooks made big batches of jam so their fruit would last longer. That meant "processing," the time-consuming method of heating food in jars to kill the microorganisms that cause spoilage. Thankfully, times have changed: Our easy cheat relies on a regular skillet and much less sugar — and it comes together in a jiffy. Store in the fridge; it will keep up to 3 weeks. (For fresh fruit jam year-round, pack into freezer-safe containers, leaving 1 inch of headspace, and freeze up to 1 year.)

Pour jam into three clean 1/2-pint jars with tight-fitting lids. Cover and refrigerate until jam is set and cold, about 8 hours. (Jam will thicken as it chills.) Keep jam refrigerated and use within 3 weeks.

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